File reference: EDB(FE)CR 1/2/3231/11
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL BRIEF
APPROVAL FOR GRATIA CHRISTIAN COLLEGE TO AWARD DEGREES AND TO INCLUDE “HOK YUEN” IN ITS
CHINESE NAME,
AND FOR CHU HAI COLLEGE OF HIGHER EDUCATION TO AWARD DEGREES
INTRODUCTION
At the meeting of the Executive Council on 28 April 2015, the Council ADVISED and the Chief Executive ORDERED that approval should be granted to –
(a) Gratia Christian College (GCC) to use “宏恩基督教學院” as its Chinese name and to award degrees for three programmes –
(i) Bachelor of Psychology (Honours);
(ii) Bachelor of Social Work (Honours); and
(iii) Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) in Service Marketing and Management,
subject to the registration of GCC under the Post Secondary Colleges Ordinance (the Ordinance) (Cap. 320); and
(b) Chu Hai College of Higher Education (Chu Hai College) to award degrees for three programmes –
(i) Master of Arts in Chinese Studies;
(ii) Master of Architecture; and
(iii) Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Construction Engineering and Management.
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2. Following the approval of the Chief Executive in Council, the Permanent Secretary for Education has approved the registration of GCC (宏恩基督教學院) under the Ordinance.
JUSTIFICATIONS Gratia Christian College
3. GCC is a non-profit-making post-secondary institution. GCC aims to excel in liberal arts and professional education for developing servant leaders to serve the Chinese and global communities with competence and Christian love.
4. In November 2014, the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) completed an Institutional Review, commissioned by GCC, to ascertain whether GCC has a suitable academic environment for the conduct of degree level programmes in general. GCC was confirmed to meet HKCAAVQ’s accreditation standards in February 2015. Separately, GCC obtained HKCAAVQ’s accreditation of the proposed Bachelor of Psychology (Honours), Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) and Bachelor of Business Administration (Honours) in Service Marketing and Management programmes in February 2015.
5. Section 8(1) of the Ordinance provides that every college shall be registered under such name in both English and Chinese as may be approved by the Permanent Secretary for Education, who shall not without the prior sanction of the Chief Executive in Council approve any name containing the word “University”, or the Chinese words “Tai Hok” (大學) or “Hok Yuen” (學院). As GCC would like to use the Chinese name “宏 恩基督教學院”, approval of the Chief Executive in Council is required.
Save for the Hong Kong Shue Yan University ( 香港樹仁大學), all institutions registered under the Ordinance are now using names containing the words “Hok Yuen” (學院), with approval previously given by the Chief Executive in Council. They are the Caritas Institute of Higher Education (明愛專上學院), Centennial College (明德學院), Chu Hai College (珠海 學院), Hang Seng Management College (恆生管理學院), HKCT Institute of Higher Education (港專學院), Hong Kong Nang Yan College of Higher Education (香港能仁專上學院) and Tung Wah College (東華學院).
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Chu Hai College of Higher Education
6. Chu Hai College has been registered under the Ordinance since 2004 and began to offer degree programmes with the approval of Chief Executive in Council in the same year. Chu Hai College now operates 11 full-time locally-accredited self-financing degree programmes, with around 1 670 students in the 2014/15 academic year.
7. In 2014, Chu Hai College obtained the Programme Area Accreditation (PAA) status from HKCAAVQ in the areas of Journalism, Mass Communication, Chinese Literature, Chinese Language, Accounting, Finance and General Business Administration at Level 5 of the Qualifications Framework (QF). In March 2015, Chu Hai College further obtained PAA status in the programme areas of Civil Engineering and Architecture at QF Level 5 as well. Upon gaining PAA, an institution may develop and operate learning programmes within the approved scope of programme area(s) at specified QF Level(s), which may cover a course at degree level for an approved period of time, and have the qualifications of those learning programmes entered into the Qualifications Register for recognition under QF without going through Programme Validation by HKCAAVQ.
8. The proposed Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Construction Engineering and Management is covered under the PAA in the programme area of Civil Engineering obtained by Chu Hai College in March 2015, and hence Programme Validation by HKCAAVQ is not required. Chu Hai College has also obtained accreditation from HKCAAVQ of the proposed Master of Arts in Chinese Studies and Master of Architecture (both at QF Level 6) in January and March 2015 respectively.
Award of Degrees
9. Section 10(a) of the Ordinance provides that a post secondary college may, with the prior approval of the Chief Executive in Council, award degrees. Since GCC and Chu Hai College have obtained HKCAAVQ’s accreditation of their three bachelor’s degree programmes and two master’s degree programmes respectively, and Chu Hai College’s proposed Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) in Construction Engineering and Management programme is covered under the PAA that it has obtained
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from HKCAAVQ, quality of these programmes is assured. GCC and Chu Hai College intend to introduce the proposed programmes in the 2015/16 academic year.
IMPLICATIONS OF THE PROPOSAL
10. The proposal is in conformity with the Basic Law, including the provisions concerning human rights. It has no significant economic and sustainability implications, and no financial and civil service, productivity, environmental, family and gender implications.
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
11. Public consultation is unnecessary as the proposal involves no policy change.
PUBLICITY
12. A spokesman will be available for answering public enquiries.
ENQUIRIES
13. In case of enquiries, please contact Ms Pecvin Yong, Principal Assistant Secretary for Education, at 3509 8502.
Education Bureau July 2015
